Baskets to blitzes: Maye could join NFL elite with roots at hoops powerhouses
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J.J. Post, ESPN
When you look at the colleges with the most NFL draft picks, the names that pop up are hardly surprising. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish. USC Trojans. Ohio State Buckeyes. All schools with a storied reputation in college football.
But every once in a while, a school better known for basketball breaks through with a blue-chip prospect. The North Carolina Tar Heels are best known for their prowess on the basketball court, but they’re also the alma mater of projected top-10 pick Drake Maye.
Here’s a look at some notable NFL legends who plied their preprofessional trade at more traditional basketball schools.
George Blanda
Draft: 1949
Pick: No. 119
After a productive collegiate tenure at Kentucky, Blanda put together a remarkable 26-year professional career that spanned four teams and two leagues.
Blanda served as both a kicker and a quarterback, and his prime years came with the Houston Oilers. He joined the team after coming out of a brief retirement, going on to lead the Oilers to a pair of AFL titles. The 1961 AFL Player of the Year was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.
Sonny Jurgensen
Draft: 1957
Pick: No. 43
Jurgensen starred on both sides of the ball with the Blue Devils before zeroing in on quarterback in the NFL. He’d go on to throw for over 32,000 yards to go with 255 passing touchdowns as part of a lengthy career that included five Pro Bowl nods. Jurgensen was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1983.
Lawrence Taylor
North Carolina Tar Heels
Draft: 1981
Pick: No. 2
One of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor was named Defensive Player of the Year in his rookie season out of North Carolina and didn’t look back.
Taylor would go on to accumulate a ridiculous résumé at linebacker for the New York Giants, including nine All-Pro nods, three Defensive Player of the Year Awards and two Super Bowls. He became just the second defensive player to win league MVP, in 1986, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.
Antwaan Randle El
Draft: 2002
Pick: No. 62
Randle El is best known as a wide receiver in the NFL, but he served as the Hoosiers’ quarterback from 1998 to 2001. His quarterback background would pay dividends during his most famous moment as a professional, when he tossed a 43-yard touchdown to Hines Ward to help the Pittsburgh Steelers seal their Super Bowl XL victory. At the time, he was the only wide receiver to throw a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl.
Gale Sayers
Draft: 1965
Pick: No. 4
Despite playing only four full seasons due to injuries, Sayers put together a remarkably productive professional tenure. He led the league in total rushing yards twice, as well as three times on a per-game average basis.
Every year that Sayers completed came with Pro Bowl honors, and he ended his career with an impressive 39 touchdowns in 65 games played. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of Canton’s 1977 class.
Howie Long
Draft: 1981
Pick: No. 48
You’d be forgiven for not realizing Villanova even has a football team, with the Wildcats playing at the FCS level. But it is the alma mater of one of the NFL’s best defensive linemen, Las Vegas Raiders legend Howie Long.
Long played 13 seasons for the organization, compiling eight Pro Bowl nods to go with a victory in Super Bowl XVIII. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Troy Aikman
Draft: 1989
Pick: No. 1
Aikman started his collegiate career with the Oklahoma Sooners, but eventually opted to transfer to Westwood and play for UCLA. The decision proved fruitful, as Aikman flourished and became the top pick in the 1989 NFL draft.
He’d go on to spend 12 seasons quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys, winning three Super Bowls in the process. The six-time Pro Bowler entered the Hall of Fame with the Class of 2006.
Rondé Barber
Draft: 1997
Pick: No. 66
A hallmark of consistency for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Barber started over 230 games in the Sunshine State — including a streak of 215 consecutive regular-season starts. Along the way, the former Cavalier was named an All-Pro three times and a Pro Bowler five times.
Barber also played a key role in the Buccaneers winning Super Bowl XXXVII and was enshrined in the Hall of Fame this past summer.
